I find it fascinating that New Urbanism has begun to flourish under these recessionary times. Is the American pedestrian really an oxymoron? The concepts of transit-oriented, sustainable, mixed-use developments and high-density, walkable neighborhoods all seem to make perfect sense in these days of credit freeze and high-energy costs. I hear the voices of Jane Jacobs and Kevin Lynch resonating through the halls of planning departments nationwide.

Healthy signs abound, yet we stand at ripe beginnings on this crusade against the giant stain of suburbia. Our recent graduates have been given the task of reshaping. We can only hope this mess is reversible. Both Yale and Harvard see the heroic opportunities here, sensing a historic moment to rethink urban strategies.

So what does this all mean to our ever-evolving kitchen? Returning to the ways of Main Street America will no doubt create a healthier, smarter, more sustainable kitchen in our homes. Without long commutes, families will have more time in the kitchen, both in the mornings and evenings.

More importantly, there will be time to actually prepare food, a task that has almost vanished from American culture in recent years. A ‘mixed-use’ living populace that lives in proximity to work does not have to buy in bulk, nor does it require a car. Hence, storage concerns in our kitchens will be revised.

There is also the belief that our active living footprints shall be reduced in size as we learn to grasp quality over quantity of space. Therein lies the importance of a skilled designer. Markets, supplying local produce, can once again thrive as a neighborhood beacon for sustainable communities. The integration of aging generations into future communities will also reshuffle the levels of interactions in the kitchen, allowing the oral tradition to seep through families on many levels.

Yet there is no wheel to reinvent here, the successful models have never left us. Ironically, as the Industrial Age drove a class out of their urban homes into the countryside, so will New Urbanism drive the boomers back into the diverse urban landscape they yearn for.  Perhaps this is the necessary transition that all Americans must now face.

Yet why does the media portray this as a ’sacrifice’ to common America? Surely we need to refocus our lens and make people aware of a quality of life that can literally exist around each and every corner.

Of course, if gas prices continue to rise, it may indeed be a forced revolution. Though utopian in spirit, I would prefer the voluntary to lead this pedestrian parade.